Schnucks has closed its Rural Oaks and South Alpine grocery stores, but the chatter hasn’t died down about one of them. I don’t hear anything about the demise of the Alpine location.

The Rural Oaks location, however, is a far different story, one that illustrates how social networking is much more than a place to post cat pictures or selfies of Rockford Rotarians on Sydney Harbour Bridge. LOL!

Social networks have become a powerful tool for grass-roots mobilization. People in Rural Oaks liked their Hilander store, which became Schnucks, and they are using Facebook to express their frustrations about its closure and to discuss what to do next. Originally, “Save our Schnucks - Rural Street” was started to keep the store open.

Now that the St. Louis-based company has taken down the signs and is removing equipment, reality is setting in. At first, many of the commenters were firing off nasty comments about the company, saying that it had abandoned them.

The site has changed focus since the store’s May 31 closing, with statements like, “What can we do to move the ball forward today?” Some good suggestions are emerging about what could happen at the now-vacant site.

I have been participating in the discussion, too. Here are some edited examples of things I’ve been saying:

“I know these folks closed their store, but they’re a business, not a charity. They have a perfect right to do what they believe to be in their best interest. Schnucks didn’t become a ‘bad company’ because they closed a couple of stores.”

Someone responded to that by saying, ‘C’mon, Chuck, you’re supposed to be on our side!’”

And I said, “I am. However, I think the practical thing is to do a market study to see what kind of store fits the market there. ... Put a sales presentation together. Any advertising and marketing people in your neighborhood? Get them involved.”

Then, I added this: “Time to move on. Everybody knew when Schnucks bought the Hilander stores (from Kroger) that they had too many stores in (Rockford) to be feasible. The Charles Street store (where Schnucks suggests Rural Oak customers go) was the first one built here according to Schnucks’ specifications.

“The retail food business works on extremely small profit margins, 1 to 2 percent. Consolidation has been the order of the day for decades, not just here but nationally. Heck, the list of companies that were here and left is long — A&P, National Tea, Jewel, Kroger, (the first time, under their banner) Piggly Wiggly, Eagle, Cub Foods and dozens of neighborhood groceries that began closing after World War II. What’s still around in established neighborhoods are Gray’s and niche stores like Pinnon’s on Fulton Ave., Mead Longwood Market, the 320 Store and others. I think Rural Oaks would be perfect for a nice local store with a hometown feel, special events and an outdoor market thrown in. It could be a real gathering place.”

Page 2 of 2 - Those were my Facebook meanderings on the topic. I didn’t get into the fact that Meijer is building two, maybe three stores in Winnebago County, one in Rockford, one in Machesney Park and one, possibly, in South Beloit. That will have an impact on a market with little or no population growth.

More and more people are getting together to address common concerns, such as what will happen to Rural Oaks without a longtime grocery store that was a focal point of the neighborhood. We know that Rural Oaksters are motivated. We saw that with the lively debate over the proposed tavern there. That tavern is coming, but not without concessions forced by residents.

Now, Rural Oaksters must organize and develop an aggressive but realistic development and marketing plan. And they must not be co-opted by politicians offering to help. Use them, don’t let them use you!